This was a disgustingly ugly loss — it felt like I was kicked in the nuts watching Buffalo run up the score on us.
We are three weeks into the season, and shockingly, the Defense is playing awful — simple as that. Everything surrounding this 2021 season was built around the idea that the Defense was supposed to be dominant. The talent assembled on Defense should collectively make for a top 5 Defense, but this is not the case. They cannot stop anybody through the air, and our third-down defense is pathetic.
William Jackson III is not playing up to expectations. Chase Young and Montez Sweat are not as disruptive as we thought they were about to become in 2021. Hell, our defense single handily put Josh Allen back in the MVP conversation after having his way with our D.
There were some bright spots here and there; Antonio Gibson and Heinicke showed flashes of toughness and grit, but Heinicke tried to do too much at times, and he ended up turning the ball over twice.
McKissic and Gibson combined for 15 rushing attempts — this is not good. Washington has to commit to the run and keep Heinicke from trying to force things on his own. Anywhere from 17 to 20 attempts should be the standard for our leading running back.
Both Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas continue to be our top receivers, but we have to get Dyami Brown and Adam Humphries more involved, especially in the short-passing game.
Next Sunday, we visit Atlanta for what should be a must-win for our team. The Falcons are a dangerous team with underrated weapons; they still have a veteran QB in Matt Ryan who can exploit weak defenses. A win against the Falcons would go a long way for getting our mojo back — we have a murderous row of good teams ahead of us. We have to win — and win convincingly here.
WFT 21 — BILLS 43
COWBOYS 41 — EAGLES 21
The talking heads in sports media will rush to crown Dallas as a Super Bowl contender yet again. However, this win is just another smoke and mirrors type of victory for Dallas — beating up a young and inexperienced team. Next week, Dallas takes on a more formidable Carolina team. Advantage, Carolina Panthers.
Philadelphia is currently at 1-2 and will probably struggle to get another win for the rest of the year. Jalen Hurts needs better protection and better weapons. Next week, the Eagles will host Kansas City for what should be a bounce-back game for Patrick Mahomes. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
GIANTS 14 — FALCONS 17
The NY Giants led most of this game, but the difference here is that Atlanta has Matt Ryan, and New York has Danny Dimes. Next week, the Giants will visit New Orleans. Advantage, New Orleans Saints.
Atlanta got their first win of the season with solid Quarterback play from Matt Ryan. Next week, Atlanta will host Washington. Advantage, Washington Football Team.
RAIDERS 31 — DOLPHINS 28
This was an edge-of-your-seat, up and down game. The Raiders are winning ugly, but they are finding ways to win; they are now 3-0 and looking like a dangerous playoff team. Filling in for an injured Josh Jacobs, Peyton Barber ran for over 100 yards and 1 TD. The signing of Barber paid off big-time this weekend. On offense, the combination of Bryan Edwards, Henry Ruggs III, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller is becoming one of the best-receiving groups in the league. Next Sunday, Las Vegas visits the LA Chargers for a huge divisional game. Advantage, Las Vegas Raiders.
The Dolphins were leading by two scores at halftime, but the Raiders shutting Miami from scoring in the 3rd quarter was crucial for Las vegas to get back into this game. I thought Jacoby Brissett looked pretty good running Miami’s offense. I think Brissett seems to be more efficient than Tua, which Brian Flores and his staff need to consider going forward. Next Sunday, Miami takes on a winless but dangerous Colts team. Advantage, Miami Dolphins.
LA RAMS 34 — BUCCANEERS 24
At this point of the season, it is safe to say that the undefeated LA Rams are the best team in all of pro football. Matt Stafford looks phenomenal week after week. He threw for over 300 yards with 4 TDs and zero picks. It was awesome seeing Desean Jackson still running past defenders for a score. Next Sunday, the Rams host the undefeated Arizona Cardinals. Advantage, LA Rams.
Tom Brady played great, throwing for over 400 yards with 1 TD and zero picks. However, Tampa Bay could not run the ball — Brady was their top rusher in this game, an insane stat. The Bucs have got to get more balance out of their offense to have a shot at repeating as Super Bowl champs. Next Sunday, Brady returns to New England. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PACKERS 30 — 49ERS 28
The Packers played an excellent game, getting ahead of San Francisco to 17-0 by the 2nd quarter. Joe Barry’s Defense was tested in the second half of this game, but Aaron Rodgers does what he always does; with only a handful of seconds left, Rodgers put Green Bay in a position to put this game away with a field goal — which they did. Next up, Green Bay Hosts a wounded Steelers team. Advantage, Green Bay Packers.
The 49ers had some notable injuries and inactives for this game but still managed to be within striking distance of pulling off the win. Jimmy G played well enough but made some bad throws and fumbled at a crucial time of the game. I have a feeling that we will see Trey Lance on the field sooner than expected. Next up, San Francisco hosts Seattle for what should be a huge divisional game for both teams. Advantage, San Francisco 49ers.
CHARGERS 30 — CHIEFS 24
The LA Chargers delivered a powerful statement to the entire AFC WEST Division by sending Kansas City to the bottom of the standings. Justin Herbert continues to impress me. The Chargers are playing some well-balanced football. Next Sunday, LA will hosts the 3-0 Raiders for what should be a tough and close game. Advantage, Las Vegas Raiders
Patrick Mahomes is an excellent QB; however, he seems to be playing from behind in most games this season. In addition, the Chief Defense looks shaky and unreliable. Next Sunday, Kansas City visits Philadelphia for what should be a very winnable game. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
SAINTS 28 — PATRIOTS 13
The Saints needed this win badly after last week’s humiliating loss to Carolina. Jameis Winston made a few wild, head-scratching plays but got lucky not to cost New Orleans the win here. Next Sunday, New Orleans hosts the NY Giants. Advantage, New Orleans Saints.
Mac Jones played like an inexperienced rookie; he was sloppy and ineffective throughout the entire game. I think New England moving on from Cam Newton is proving to had been a big mistake. Next Sunday. New England welcomes back Tom Brady for what should be a long miserable night for Belicheater and company. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
RAVENS 19 — LIONS 17
Justin Tucker kicked a field goal for 66 yards to edge out the Lions and keep Detroit winless. Baltimore has put together back-to-back victories in extremely close games. Next up, Baltimore visits 3-0 Denver. Advantage, Baltimore.
The Lions lost another heartbreaking game. Jared Goff is actually playing pretty well for Detroit, but it will take some serious rebuilding around him to get Detroit to become a legit contender in the NFC NORTH. Next up, Detroit will battle their oldest and biggest rival, Chicago, for what should be a season-defining game for both teams. Advantage, Detroit Lions.
BROWNS 26 — BEARS 6
Cleveland waited until the 4th quarter to explode offensively all over a worn-out Chicago team. The Browns struggled to get past an underrated Bears team, and things will get tougher next week when they visit Minnesota. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
Justin Fields had a rough day with barely 80 yards of total offense from this rookie QB. Chicago’s defense keeps them in games, but it will be a long-rough season for Chicago if Andy Dalton doesn’t return soon. Next week, Chicago takes on their old Division rival Detroit. Advantage, Detroit Lions.
VIKINGS 30 — SEAHAWKS 17
The Minnesota Vikings look like a team beginning to find their rhythm. Kirk Cousins was solid, throwing for over 300 yards with 3 TDs and zero picks. The Vikings scored 23 unanswered points and made it look easy. Next up, Minnesota hosts Cleveland for what should be an explosive game. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
Seattle could not get anything going on all sides of the ball. The NFC WESTis loaded with good teams, and Seattle needs to start winning games, or they will be out of playoff contention sooner than expected. Next up, Seattle visits san Francisco for what should be a must-win game for Seattle. Advantage, San Francisco 49ers.
BRONCOS 26 — NY JETS 0
The Denver Broncos made easy work out of rookie QB Zach Wilson. Denver is now 3-0 for the season and looking like the surprise team of the year. Next week, Denver will face their toughest challenge so far this season against Baltimore. If Denver wins, they should become immediate contenders in the AFC — but I doubt they can beat Baltimore. Advantage, Baltimore Ravens.
The NY Jets look like they might go winless this season. This year, the only winnable game I see for them is against Jacksonville on December 26; It will be the battle of two rookie head coaches against two rookie first-round Quarterbacks. But who knows, a lot can happen between now and December 26. Next week, the NY Jets will have to slow down Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans. Advantage, Tennessee Titans.
PANTHERS 24 — TEXANS 9
Sam Darnold continues to impress me with his new team, throwing for over 300 yards and rushing for 2 TDs. Next week, Carolina visits the overrated Dallas Cowboys for what should be the game where Dallas gets exposed for the pretenders they really are. Advantage, Carolina Panthers.
Houston needs to seriously consider bringing in Cam Newton or activate Deshaun Watson if they want to save their season. It is just not looking good for them right now. Next week, Houston visits Buffalo for what should be a complete massacre. Advantage, Buffalo Bills.
TITANS 25 — COLTS 16
Ryan Tannehill overcame throwing 2 picks to pull away from the Colts. Derrick Henry is probably the toughest running back to stop in the NFL. Next week, Tennessee will have an easy day feasting on the NY Jets. Advantage, Tennessee Titans.
This AFC SOUTH division is all about Tennessee at this stage of the season, and the Colts could still contend if they can just figure out a way to protect Carson Wentz better and get their offense going a little better. Their kicker Rodrigo Blankenship seems pretty reliable — they can count on some field goals. Next week, the Colts visit a hungry Miami team looking to start adding some wins. Advantage, Miami Dolphins.
BENGALS 24 — STEELERS 10
The Cincinnati Bengals are putting together some solid wins this season. They dominated the Steelers from beginning to end. Ja’marr Chase is quietly becoming one of the best receiving threats in the NFL and a favorite target for Joe Burrow. Next up, Cincinnati will take on Trevor Lawrence and the winless Jacksonville Jaguars. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers were just awful. The OL for Pittsburgh does not provide adequate protection for an older and static quarterback like Big Ben. The run game is non-existent — they have to get more out of their running backs; Najee Harris was their best receiving target with over 100 yards receiving. Next up, Pittsburgh visits an inspired Green Bay team fresh from their come from behind win over the 49ers. Advantage, Green Bay Packers.
CARDINALS 31 — JAGUARS 19
The Arizona Cardinals did easy work out of Trevor Lawrence and Urban Meyer. However, the highlight of this game was the 68 yard missed field goal attempt that Jacksonville ran back for 109 yards and the score. Gusty call, but not very smart from Arizona. Next week is the battle of the undefeated teams between Arizona and the LA Rams. Advantage, LA Rams.
It really does look like Jacksonville will finish the season winless. The schedule is pretty brutal, but as the saying goes, anything can happen in the NFL on any given Sunday. Next week, Urban Meyer reunites with Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals.
Rod Rioja 